Hasket Hildreth, a friend of mine and the Captain of Frances which sailed the waters of Casco Bay, Maine died this past week. His unique vision and life style pointed to simpler times when sailing vessels were actually “sailed” by people and not electronics, engines and technology. We will miss his presence on the trips around the bay which we had shared with him often. We wish his family and friends our deepest condolences.

Here is the obituary as printed by the Portland Press Herald.

Hasket Derby Hildreth, 48
FALMOUTH — Hasket Derby Hildreth died at his home in Falmouth on Feb. 27, 2008. He was the captain of Maine Sailing Adventures in Portland, and a shareholder and board member of Diversified Communications, also in Portland. He had a degree in engineering from the University of Maine at Orono and completed the program in boatbuilding at the Washington County Vocational Technical Institute in Eastport.

He designed the Frances D and the Frances, two steel sailing vessels of 55 to 60 feet in length, and built them with the help of Wallace Soule of Pownal and Megan Jones of Falmouth. He captained the Frances for three summers in Portland Harbor and Casco Bay, taking out charter parties for day sails and evening cruises with first mate Megan Jones. He also took many nonprofit groups on sails, such as Youth Alternatives, the Naval Sea Scouts, the Special Olympics of Maine, and several local junior yacht clubs.

The Frances is a familiar sight on the Portland waterfront and a sprightly sailor. Although built of steel, Frances’s design and rigging are traditional. Her classic lines are based on mid-1800s fishing schooners.

The vessels were both named for Hasket’s eldest daughter, Frances Derby Hildreth. Frances was a frequent crew member starting at age 11. One of his family’s most memorable sights was of Frances alone on deck and steering under full sail into Seal Bay on Vinalhaven Island while Hasket worked on other things down below.

Hasket sailed his vessels all over the Gulf of Maine and down the east coast to Key West, Fla. He, Hasket DerbyHildreth was not simply a competent seaman; he had an uncanny ability to sail at night in fog with only a compass through difficult waters.

Hasket was complex and talented. His independent thinking was reflected in his innovative approach to boatbuilding and his commitment to a low-environmental- impact lifestyle. He was a musician, draftsman, and artist, who had a heart and sense of humor that matched the length and draft of his boat. Throughout his life, he forged many diverse and lasting friendships. He will be deeply missed by his friends and family.

He celebrated this past New Year’s Eve by producing a robust fireworks show (in Lake Charles, La.) for his two-year-old daughter, Addison, who was delighted by her father’s pyrotechnic creativity.

He is survived by his parents, Alison and Horace Hildreth; his brothers Daniel, Malcolm and Thomas; his daughter Frances and her mother Fawn Hildreth, and his daughter Addison and her mother Melanie Dees.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 3, at 3 p.m., at the Portland Company, 58 Fore St., in Portland. A reception will follow. Parking is available at Hamiliton Marine, 100 Fore St.

In lieu of flowers, memorial
contributions may be made to:
SailMaine
58 Fore St.
Portland, Maine 04101